1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer-incorporating information processing apparatus equipped With an image reading device, such as a word processor, personal computer, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional information processing apparatuses detachably equipped with an image reading device are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Disclosure HEI 1-235465 and Japanese Patent Application Disclosure HEI 3-175871.
The information processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Disclosure HEI 1-235465 is a communication apparatus equipped with an image reading device, or a facsimile machine, wherein the image reading device is detachably mounted in the communication apparatus body. In addition, this information processing apparatus is provided with detection means for detecting whether the image reading device is used as a hand-held scanner. The document feeding system of the disclosed information processing apparatus is constructed in such a manner that the feeding roller comes into contact with the image sensor at the image reading station.
The information processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Disclosure HEI 3-175871 also relates to a facsimile machine on the body of which is detachably mounted a scanner connected with the body through a connecting cord. The scanner is mounted into the body by sliding the scanner into a scanner receiving bay formed in the body through the side of the body. This information processing apparatus is also provided with detection means for detecting whether the image reading device is used as a hand-held scanner.
However, all the aforementioned techniques of the prior art relate to facsimile machines, not to information processing machines such as word processors, personal computers, etc. There is no provision of detachable image reading device-equipped information processing machines such as word processors, personal computers, etc.
Regarding conventional information processing apparatuses equipped with an image reading device, such as word processors, personal computers, etc., the image reading device is incorporated in a printer unit in the body of the information processing apparatus, or the image reading device is provided as an external hand-held scanner. With the configuration wherein the image reading device is incorporated inside the body, images on sheet-like documents may be read, but book-like documents cannot be subjected to image reading since the image reading device cannot be located outside the body. Accordingly, reading of images in books requires an additional hand-held scanner, and thus functionality is poor.
On the other hand, with the configuration wherein the image reading device is provided as an external hand-held scanner, since the image reading apparatus and the body are separate structures, the connecting cord, which connects the body and the image reading device, must be removed from the body in order to house the image reading device and the body separately when the information processing apparatus is to be stored. When the stored information processing apparatus is taken out and used again for reading an image, the body and the image reading device must be reconnected with the connecting cord. Accordingly, in cases where the user frequently takes out and stores the information processing apparatus, he is compelled to connect or remove the connecting cord to and from the body each time image reading is carried out, resulting in poor operability of the information processing apparatus.